Talmidav Shel Aharon
05-5767 Mitzvah 33
November 13, 2006

Mitzvah 33 – It is a positive commandment that a sinner should turn back from sin and should confess the misdeed before G-d.
Hafetz Hayyim: As it says in Scripture: “When a man ore woman commit any sin … then they shall confess their sin (Bamidbar 5:6-7) This means an avowal in words before G-d. He is to say from the depths of his heart, “I beseech you G-d: I have sinned, done wrong, and acted criminally before you. This-and-this I did (and here one describes the sin in detail) and here I have regretted my deed and become ashamed of it. Never will I go back and do this again” The main element is remorse in the heart, over the past and one must take it upon himself not to do such a thing ever again. This confession is the essential part of repentance; but the more one confesses, the more praiseworthy he is. Even death and the confession on Yom Kippur, however, bring no atonement and forgiveness unless they are with repentance. This is in effect at all times and it every place for both males and for females.

This is the kind of Mitzvah, confessing sins, that most people don’t really attach themselves to and prefer not to think about. It is easy to see why. We don’t like to admit our mistakes and we don’t like to say out loud that we may be wrong, let alone confess that we really messed up. We would rather our errors disappear and be forgotten and we thus would not have to face them and worry about them ever again. I was once told that Oliver North, the man behind the Iran-Contra scandal during the Regan Administration, tried very hard to cover his tracks while he was diverting money against the directions of Congress. He thought that he had erased all record of the transactions from his computer, never knowing that the National Security Agency had a mainframe computer in the basement that recorded and stored all transactions made on the agency’s computers. Oliver North commented during the trial that “We thought we had eliminated all traces of our work, clearly we were wrong” In a similar way, we have this almost childish dream that no one will notice our mistakes and we will not have to face up to them. The fact is that we do have to face them, and we need to face our Creator too, as if G-d were an eternal parent.
The anatomy of repentance involves many steps. First there must be a realization that we have done something very wrong. We have to first admit to ourselves that we have made a mistake and we need to take action to repair what we have done. Second we need to confess to the person we have offended or hurt directly and honestly. We need to make a formal apology and make whatever restitution is necessary to secure that person’s forgiveness. (We also need to be forgiving of others who may have offended us. Judaism says we have to ask for forgiveness three times. If we are turned away without it three times, the problem becomes one of holding a grudge, a serious sin, on the unforgiving party) We can not have G-d forgive us if we have not faced the offended party. Once the person we have offended has forgiven us, we need to be forgiven by G-d. We need to make our oral confession, not for G-d’s sake; G-d already knows the sins we have done; rather we need to confess out loud our sins and resolve never to do them again as part of a regimen that will help us keep from repeating our mistakes. G-d is compassionate and we can be assured of being forgiven unless we go back and do the same sin over and over again. If we keep doing the same sin and then confessing before we do it again, eventually G-d will figure out that our confession is not sincere.
One should confess sins every day, so that we do not carry a burden of sin with us wherever we go. The two most important times for this kind of confession is on Yom Kippur and on the day of our death. Both have a special confession that should be recited to make sure that all sins, even those we may have forgotten, are properly addressed so we can move forward, in this world and in the world to come, without the baggage of sins weighing us down.Remember, confessing and repenting our sins is not just for others or for G-d. It is something we can do for ourselves to put our past behind us, to confront our mistakes and the times we delude ourselves into thinking that what is wrong could be right, and then move on with our lives free from the worry that someday, our past will catch up with us.

Talmidav Shel Aharon
04-5767 Mitzvah 32
November 7, 2006

Mitzvah 32 – It is a positive commandment to fast on Yom Kippur.
Hafetz Hayyim: As the Torah says: “On the tenth day of the seventh month there shall be a day of atonement … and you shall afflict your souls” (Lev. 23:27). It is necessary to fast from evening to evening and end the fast a bit after the end of the day. If one eats more on the day before Yom Kippur, it is as though he fasts on both the ninth and tenth of Tishrei (the day of Yom Kippur and the day before). It is in effect at all times and it every place for both males and for females.

“Afflicting your soul” on Yom Kippur implies five deprivations. 1. Eating; 2. Drinking; 3. Anointing; 4. Wearing leather soled shoes and 5. Sexual relations.
Because the day is spent seeking atonement for all the sins we may have incurred in the previous year, we do not want to be distracted from our duties. If our very life in the new year is at stake, than we can abstain for a day from sexual relations with our spouse. Leather soled shoes are not about the leather, but about luxury. We do not want to show off our most expensive clothing, but we dress simply, this implies non-leather shoes and plain white clothing. Even the High Priest in the Temple of Jerusalem, would put aside his highly ornamental robes for plain linen ones for Yom Kippur. In a similar vein, we don’t wear makeup or cologne or any other form of decoration that is purely ornamental since we are being judged on who we are, not how we appear. There is no deception in the Heavenly Court. Still, the most recognized deprivation for Yom Kippur is the refraining from eating and drinking for the 25 hours of the fast.
On the one hand, the reason for the fast is that we are trying to imitate the angels in the Heavenly Court who neither eat nor drink. If we can emulate them, we can be assured of being judged favorably in the new year. On the other hand, when our lives are in danger, who would stop to eat or drink? Yom Kippur is a day of great danger, since our lives are in the balance, but Yom Kippur is also a joyful day, since we know that our fast will be successful and we will find forgiveness on this day. Most physicians agree that there should be no problem with a healthy person fasting for one day. Still there are some rules for fasting.
One should prepare for the fast by eliminating those foods that may have side effects if they are suddenly suspended. It is a good idea to stop drinking caffeine a few weeks before the fast so there will not be withdrawal which can cause a headache or worse if you ingest daily a significant dose of caffeine. The day before Yom Kippur, it is important to have a good meal, not a spicy, heavy meal, but a plain meal that is well balanced but not too heavy. A good dose of protein and carbohydrates will help get through the fast but beware, too many carbs may cause you to burn out early. Medications that are taken daily should be taken with this meal and try and drink just plain water (not coffee or tea, certainly, and sugar drinks are also not helpful) If one eats properly before the fast, than it is as if you have fasted two days instead of one. The meal on one day makes the second day possible.
Because of the ban on anointing, some refrain from washing the next morning. You can wash hands and face. The original ban only included visiting a spa (hot springs or hot tub) on Yom Kippur and that the issue is not washing at all. Still some keep the washing to a minimum. One should take morning medications if they are necessary for health. If you are not sure, ask your doctor. Do not skip a day on medications without a doctor’s permission. Pregnant or nursing mothers, the ill and infirm do not fast on Yom Kippur. Children under the age of 13 are not required to fast but it is a good idea that a child older than nine should practice fasting by not eating for half the day. Each year he or she can fast an extra hour until they can go the whole day. One is not allowed to endanger their life by fasting so if you feel ill, one is supposed to eat. We err on the side of caution when it comes to fasting. If one passes out from hunger and says, “I need to eat” and a doctor is present and says, “no you don’t need to eat” we ignore the doctor and feed the patient. If the doctor says the person needs to eat and the person said, “no I don’t” we ignore the person and feed the patient. In times of medical emergency or plague, and the entire community could be endangered by fasting, than the whole community must eat. Saving a life takes precedence over fasting on Yom Kippur.
A post-fast break-the-fast should be like a breakfast with breakfast type foods. Yom Kippur will never fall on a Friday or Sunday so that we don’t have to deal with fasting and the prohibition of cooking on Shabbat.
Since being in places where we could get hungry would be a bad idea, some spend the day at the synagogue so that the usual hunger cues will not be triggered. One does not talk about food on the day as this will only make the fasting harder. One should concentrate on the prayers of Yom Kippur and the hunger will pass. Conservative congregations also support Project Isaiah, where the food we don’t eat is donated to food shelf/pantry projects so that those who don’t eat on a daily basis will have food for themselves. Canned or non-perishable foods are brought to the synagogue and donated to local food programs. This is a great way to make our fast even more meaningful.

Talmidav Shel Aharon
03-5767 Mitzvah 31
October 30, 2006

Mitzvah 31 – It is a positive commandment to rest from work on Yom Kippur.
Hafetz Hayyim: As the Torah says: “it shall be for you a day of solemn rest” (Lev. 23:32). Whoever does work on Yom Kippur disobeys a positive commandment and violates a negative one. If it is done willfully, the punishment is Karet; if unintentially, a sin offering must be brought. Whaever labor is forbidden on the Sabbath is likewise forbidden on Yom Kippur. It is in effect at all times and it every place for both males and for females.

We will deal with the special restrictions on Yom Kippur at a future date, but this matter of “rest” on Yom Kippur is, in reality, a big part of what Yom Kippur is all about. Shabbat is one of the most important holidays on the Jewish calendar. Yom Kippur, however, is called in the Torah “Shabbat Shabbaton” the Sabbath of Sabbaths. This means that the holiday must be at least as important as Shabbat, possibly more important. The more important part of the day involves the fasting that we will take up another day, but the rest from work can not be overlooked. Whatever is forbidden on Shabbat is not permitted on Yom Kippur and the punishment is exactly the same.
If the violation is done willfully, that is, it is done with the full knowledge that the action in question is forbidden and the person performs the action anyway, then the punishment is “karet” which means that “the soul is cut off”. What does this mean? Maimonides defines this punishment as the extinction of the soul, in both this world and the next. In other words, what would be the point of attaining eternal life in the world to come if one can not observe the most important commandments in this world? It should, however, be noted that this punishment is reserved for G-d. Human Beings do not enforce a punishment of karet.
On the other hand, violations done by mistake, without premeditation, can be corrected through bringing a sin offering to the Temple in Jerusalem. The Hafetz Hayyim knew, even in his day, that this is now impossible. Since the year 70 CE, the Temple of Jerusalem has been destroyed and the sacrifices have been discontinued. The Hafetz Hayyim may be thinking that when the Messiah comes and the Temple is rebuilt, a violator of Yom Kippur would be liable to bring a sin offering. This is part of a debate that has been going on for a long time. There are some who insist that sacrifices are the only way one can really feel close to G-d. This is why they are called, in Hebrew, “Korbanot” because the make one feel near to the Holy One. There are others, however, who follow Maimonides and many other important scholars who teach that the sacrifices were once a part of our worship because that was the form of worship in vogue so long ago. The sacrifices have ended and they will not be restarted because we have grown in our spirituality and no longer need such a physical ritual to feel closer to G-d.
Since the destruction of the Temple, Prayer, especially the Amida, the personal prayer that is recited individually, has taken the place of animal sacrifices. I myself believe in this approach and do not, in any way, advocate a return to the sacrificing of animals as a Jewish ritual. According to this approach, anyone who violates the rules of rest on Yom Kippur by mistake, should pray that day that his or her sin should be forgiven. The prayer itself is the sacrifice. In other words, we should resolve to try harder to rest the next Yom Kippur. The only warning is that one can not rely on Yom Kippur to atone for sins that are performed with premeditation and foreknowledge. You can’t sin and think that, “Oh well, G-d will forgive me on Yom Kippur” We are specifically taught that such sins will not be forgiven and the punishment is karet.

Talmidei Shel Aharon
02-5767 Mitzvah 30
October 23, 2006

Mitzvah 30 – It is a positive commandment to hear the sound of the Shofar (rams horn) on the first day of Tishrei which is Rosh Hashana
Hafetz Hayyim: As the Torah says: “it shall be for you a day of blowing the horn” (Num. 29:1). The Shofar is the horn of a sheep, which is curved; other kinds of Shofar are not acceptable. One has the duty to hear nine sounds on Rosh Hashana : three times, the series tekia-terua-tekia. We are not certain, however, what the teruah should be; and therefore we blow three times tikiah, shevarim teruah tekiah:; three times; tekiah shevarim tekiah; and then three times: tekiah teruah tekiah so as to be free from any doubt. It is in effect at all times and it every place for males but not for females.

One would think that Blowing the Shofar would be a rather simple affair. One should take the horn of a Ram, hollow it out and then blow on it for Rosh Hashana. There are just two notes. There is the long clear blast of the Tekiah, and the staccato of the Teruah. The problem is, nobody is quite sure what a teruah sounds like. Are the notes very short or only short compared to the tekiah. We know the teruah was the sound of warning but what did the warning sound like? To resolve the issue, the Shevarim was created, three medium notes and then the Teruah became nine staccato notes. We do one set of nine with Tekiah-shevarim-tekiah to cover one possibility and nine notes of tekiah-teruah-tekiah to cover the other possibility. We begin with nine notes of tekiah-shevarim/teruah-tekiah to show that the middle two notes are the same. This entire set is called as if it were 27 notes but it represents 30 sounds (after all there really are 4 notes in the first set) During the Musaf on Rosh Hashana, the three sections of the Amidah, the Malchuyot, the Zichronot and Shofrot sections are divided by nine Shofar blasts (which are really 10) giving us a total of 60 sounds of the Shofar. The Talmud will later insist that we hear 100 blasts of the Shofar so many communities add another 40 notes into the middle of the final Kaddish Shalem to round out the count. The Tekiah Gedolah, the “great tekiah” is just a longer tekiah and has no added significance other than it marks the end of the first set and the final set.
There are two blessings that are recited by the Baal Tekiah (the Shofar player) The blessing for sounding the Shofar and the Shehechiyanu.
A Shofar can be made from the horn of a ram, either wild or domesticated, or from the horn of any kosher animal. The horn of a cow or ox cannot be used. It must be long enough to hold in your hand and the ends stick out of both sides. It can not be cracked or changed in anyway that would affect its sound. The reason that a Ram’s horn is preferred is because it reminds us of the binding of Isaac and the ram that was sacrificed in his place.
The Shofar is not sounded on Shabbat because of the fear that one would carry it on Shabbat..
As far as Conservative Judaism is concerned, since women are required to hear the sound of the Shofar, they are also permitted to sound the Shofar.

Questions: From Eitan Konigsburg: The name “Talmidai shel Aharon” is in “smichut” form and is therefore grammatically incorrect. It should be either “Talmidai Aharon” or Talmidav Shel Aharon”
Rabbi Replies: You are correct, it is a mistake. Thank you for catching it. The name of the list will have to be “Talmidav shel Aharon” since that is how it reads in Pirke Avot, the reference I was alluding to when I put the format together.

Question: from B. Horowitz: (In our last lesson,)Why does the Torah specify 7 COMPLETE weeks for the Omer. It doesn’t say 7 complete days for Shabbat or 7 complete months from Pesach, etc. Is there an explanation for this discrepancy? Rabbi Replies: Rashi teaches that the word “complete” implies that we begin our count in the evening (this is from the Sifra) otherwise they would not be complete. Rabbi Eli Munk compares it to a process of purification that our ancestors performed between the Exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Law at Sinai. Just as a woman’s purification needs 7 “complete” days, so too did our ancestors need seven “complete” weeks.

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 26
May 29, 2006
Mitzvah 27-29: Resting from Work on Yom Tov

Mitzvah 27 – It is a positive commandment rest from work on the seventh day of Passover.
Mitzvah 28 – It is a positive commandment to rest from work on the festival of Shavuot.
Mitzvah 29 – It is a positive commandment to rest from work on the first day of Tishre, which is Rosh Hashana

Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, [27] (Lev. 23:8): [28] (Lev. 23:21): [29] (Lev. 23:24)“It is a holy convocation. It is in force everywhere, and at every time for men and for women.

Resting on Holidays is not the same as resting on Shabbat. The rest of Shabbat is more comprehensive than that of festivals since Shabbat can be only one day and a festival can be two or more days long. Cooking, spreading an existing flame and carrying from one domain to another are forbidden on Shabbat but permitted on a Festival. Shabbat is always set by the sun, every seventh sunset is the beginning of Shabbat. Festivals are set by the moon. They occur at the same phase of the moon each year. Since the lunar cycle was set by human beings, based on observations in the nighttime sky. Therefore, we can say that human being declare the Festivals but Shabbat is declared by G-d.
The procedure was to have people in the field looking for the new moon on the correct day. Since the lunar cycle is 291/2 days, it was not clear which of the two days it would fall. As soon as the new moon was spotted, the witnesses would run to the court to testify that the moon had been seen. There was careful cross examination to assure that the moon was actually seen, and although only two witnesses were needed, they would interview many others so that they would not assume that others had gotten there first and they were no longer needed.
As soon as it was determined that the moon had appeared and the new month had begun, signal fires were lit and riders sent out to officially declare the new month. Inside the Land of Israel, the people would know in a matter of days, if not hours, that the month had begun. In Babylonia, it would take over two weeks to get the news about the month. Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot would already be started by the time the riders arrived. It became, therefore, the custom to celebrate these holidays for two days instead of the usual one. Thus there were two Sedarim on Passover and the holiday was extended for an eighth day to make sure the seventh day was observed at the proper time. Shavuot and Sukkot, in a similar manner were extended to insure that those living outside of Israel would observe the festival at the proper time. After all, it had to be one day or the other!
Even when the calendar became fixed according to mathematical calculations, the primacy of Israel was affirmed by continuing the custom of having a second day of Yom Tov in lands outside of Israel.
Rosh Hashana is the lone exception, for it is two days long in both Israel and outside of Israel. Since the holiday begins at the very beginning of the month, there was no way to know if that night would be declared the new year or not. So everyone would observe Rosh Hashana on both days.
One would think that Yom Kippur would also be observed for two days, but this is not correct. Yom Kippur is far stricter than most Holidays but since there is a total fast on Yom Kippur, it would be too hard for Jews to fast for a second day. There is only one day of Yom Kippur.
In all cases, we do not work on Festivals, but we refrain from activities not in keeping with the holiday.
Next week: Mitzvah 30: Hearing the sounds of the Shofar.

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 25
May 22, 2006
Mitzvah 26: Counting the Omer

Mitzvah 25 – It is a positive commandment to count seven whole weeks from the day that the Omer was brought to the Sanctuary

Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “and you shall count for yourselves…seven complete weeks” (Lev. 23:15) It is a religious duty to count the days along with the weeks, as Scripture says, “you shall number fifty days (ibid. 16) We begin the counting from the start of the night of the 16th of Nisan. This counting requires a blessing. If one forgets to say the blessing when he or she counts, one has still fulfilled the blessing. We count when standing but one has fulfilled the obligation to count if he or she said it sitting down. It is in force everywhere, and at every time for men but not for women.

On the surface, this Mitzvah seems easy enough. Each night, before one goes to sleep, or at the end of the Maariv, we count how many days have elapsed since the 16th of Nisan (the second day of Pesach). We count the days as well as the weeks. It goes something like, “this is the thirty-eighth day of the Omer (counting by days) making up five weeks and three days of the Omer (counting by weeks). The counting is preceded by a blessing when it is done at night. If one forgets to count at night, we can count during the day without a blessing. If one forgets a day, one can no longer say the blessing when counting because the “mitzvah” is to count all 49 days and one has been missed.
The big question is “what is an Omer and why is it important to count it?” The Omer was a measure of grain that was brought to the Temple of Jerusalem when it was standing. The Omer was a measure of the “new” grain from the new harvest. The produce of the new harvest could not be used until the Omer had been brought to the Temple. The 49 days marked the transition from Passover to Shavuot, the date that is associated with the giving of the Law at Sinai. At first, the date of Shavuot was not set on the calendar, it was the 50th day after the start of Passover. The Omer bridged that transition.
The Sages noted that the freedom that we celebrate on Passover was incomplete without the giving of the Law at Sinai. Therefore we count with anticipation the passage of the days until we celebrate the giving of the Law at Sinai. Notice, we don’t “count down” until Shavuot, we “count up” the days as a sign of our anticipation.
The counting of the days of the Omer has traditionally been a period of sadness for the Jewish people. The reason is not clear. Some say that it is a sadness born of the fact that the Temple was destroyed. Some point to a plague that killed many students of Rabbi Akiva during this time. Some say that the sadness is a result of the many tragedies that have taken place during these weeks on the Jewish calendar. In fact, there is no clear reason at all why this time has become a time of sadness and so the Law and Standards Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly has determined that there is no reason today to mark these days as a semi-mourning period and that weddings and happy occasions can be scheduled during this time except for the days between Passover and Yom HaShoah (The day we commemorate the Holocaust in Europe, the 27th of Nisan).
While some still mark these days as sad days by not performing weddings or having happy events, they also do not cut their hair during these days. There are some days that are exceptions when weddings and haircuts can be performed. These days are: Rosh Hodesh (for Iyyar and Sivan), Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Independence Day), Lag B’Omer (the 33rd day of the Omer, When the plague that killed the students of Rabbi Akiva was halted), Yom Yerushalayim (the day when, in 1967, the city of Jerusalem was reunified during the Six Day War) and the first six days of the month of Sivan (the time the People of Israel were getting ready for the revelation at Sinai).
One final note on Lag B’Omer, some say that this day marks the end of the period of sadness and that weddings and haircuts can be performed after this date. Others see this day as an exception and one continues the prohibition until the first of Sivan. There are also some who do not like to have sadness in the month of Nisan, so they begin the prohibitions after Rosh Hodesh Iyyar. It is this confused state of affairs that prompted the Law and Standards Committee to set the end of the time of semi-mourning as the day after Yom HaShoah.
Next week: Mitzvah 27-29: Resting from Work on Yom Tov.

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 24
May 22, 2006

Mitzvah 25 – It is a positive commandment to rest from work on Passover

Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “on the first day you shall have a holy convocation” (Lev. 23:7)Work is permitted, however, to prepare sustaining food for Jews, although not for non-Jews . (see Ex. 12:16) Whoever does work not needed for preparing sustaining food disobeys this positive commandment, and transgresses the negative commandment to do no work. (see Lev. 23:7) Burning a fire and carrying things out into the public domain are permissible, even if not for the purpose of preparing food. By the law of the Sages, ever festival day is to be observed in lands outside Israel for two days; but in the land of Israel, only one day is observed. Rosh Hashanah, however, is observed for two days in the Land of Israel also. It is in force everywhere, and at every time for both men and women.

There are a lot of assumed definitions at work here that need to be explained. On Shabbat, one is not permitted to cook food for any reason. On Festival (also called “Yom Tov”) the rules about working are a bit more relaxed. One is permitted to cook food needed for that day on a Festival, and one can carry an object into a public domain (which is not permitted on Shabbat unless there is an eruv) and one can transfer a burning flame on Festivals but one is not allowed to light a flame. On Shabbat both lighting the flame and transferring it are prohibited. The reason for the difference is one mostly about time. Since Shabbat is only 25 hours, than we can live without these work items without too many problems. But for a holiday, which can be from two to nine days long, we need to make sure that we can eat good food and that our abstaining from work does not undermine our need to rejoice on a festival.
The issue with cooking for a non-Jew does not apply if you are sharing your family meal with someone who is practicing another faith. It applies to those who may be coming to your home and you are selling them a meal. This is a prohibited transaction. If such a non-Jew eats with you as part of a meal plan, you can not cook for him/her on the holiday, but must prepare that food in advance as one would do on Shabbat.
Similarly sharing a holiday with friends, family and neighbors is what makes the day special. Therefore one is permitted to carry into the public domain on Festivals.
One does not need to study Bible long to realize that Pesach is only 7 days long and not the eight days that we observe today. The Hafetz Hayim correctly notes that this is a ruling of the Sages of the Talmud that, outside of the Land of Israel, one observes an extra day. The reason, as usual, is very practical. The new month was proclaimed in Jerusalem at every new moon. People would wait in the fields to be the first to see the moon and report to the Sages. They earned a feast if they were among the first dozen people to make it to the court when the new moon first appeared. As soon as the court accepted the testimony that the moon had been actually observed in the sky, they lit signal fires to alert the country that the month had started. They also sent out messengers by horseback to the far flung communities in Babylonia. These messengers took over two weeks to get to their destination. By then, those communities needed to celebrate the festivals. Since the moon travels around the earth in 29 ½ days, they did not know if the month started on the 29th of the month or the 30th of the month. Since it had to be one or the other, the far flung communities observed both days as holidays so they would not miss the important Festivals. Even when the calculations to establish the calendar were set, those communities outside of Israel still show the primacy of the Holy Land by keeping the extra day of the Festival. There has been talk of going back to one day for everyone, but, so far, that has not become Jewish practice.
Rosh Hashana is different. It is the only holiday that actually falls on the date of the new moon. No one could guess when that day would be announced so all communities, inside and out of the Land of Israel, keep two days for the New Year. Fast days, like Yom Kippur and Tisha b’Av are not doubled. It would be too hard to ask Jews to fast for two complete days.
It is necessary to light a yahrtzeit candle along with holiday candles for the first day of a Festival, so that when we need to light candles for the second day, we can transfer the flame and not have to kindle a new fire. Some people light these candles from the pilot light of their gas stove. This is also permitted. Since an electric stove does not have a flame, one can not start a new flame from the burners of an electric stove.

Next week: Mitzvah 26: Counting the days of the Omer.

Note: I am sorry that we have gone so many weeks without a lesson. Between my duties for Passover and my participation in this year’s March of The Living, we have had a long break. I hope to be more consistent in the next couple of months. Thank you for your patience.

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 22
April 3, 2006

Mitzvah 23: Eating Matzah

Mitzvah 22 – It is a positive commandment to eat Matzah on the first night of Passover
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “in the evening you shall eat unleavened bread” (Exodus 12:18) The Matzah need to be of one of the species of grain, which are wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye. Women also have the duty to eat Matzah. A young child who is able to eat is to be trained to have an olive’s amount.
By the law of the Sages it is forbidden to eat Matzah the day before Passover, so that the Matzah will be eaten at night with appetite. It is likewise a religious duty by the law of the Sages to have maror and haroset on Passover night. Over the maror it is necessary to say the blessing, “… who commanded us on eating maror” There is no blessing for haroset. It is in force everywhere, for both men and women.

It is forbidden to have any product made with wheat, barley, oat, spelt and rye on Passover unless it has been prepared under Rabbinic supervision and no more than 18 minutes have passed from the time the water first touched the flour until it was placed in a super hot baking oven. The vast majority of Matzah today is made from wheat flour. A small amount can be found made from oat flour for those with wheat allergies. Shemura Matzah, is wheat Matzah that has been made under stricter oversight. It is not necessary for anyone to be required to own or use Shemura Matzah, it is only a matter of personal choice.
It is customary not to eat Matzah on the eve of Passover, not so much because you might fill up on it too early, but the reason is so that it will be a new taste for you when you sit at the Seder. For those who eat Matzah all year, they usually stop eating it from the first day of the month of Nisan, two weeks before Passover so that the taste will be new to them. There is also the issue that, for many people, the taste of Matzah is not so great, and if they refrain from eating it for a while before Passover, they will be able to eat it for a while that evening before they remember why they do not like the taste.
It is only required to eat Matzah at the Seder. One may not eat regular bread in any form for the entire 8 days of Pesach, but you are not required to eat Matzah for all eight days. You can choose to refrain from all bread, leavened and unleavened after the Seder is over.
At the Seder, Matzah is eaten alone, and with Maror and Haroset. Contrary to popular belief, horseradish is NOT really Maror. According to the Mishna, Romaine Lettuce is what is called for. The Talmud does not know horseradish since it was only grown in Northern Europe. It enters the Seder during the Middle Ages. Harotset is a mixture of apples, wine and nuts that is supposed to symbolize the mortar used to hold the bricks of Egypt in place. Eating Maror is one of the Mitzvot of Pesach, there is no commandment to eat Haroset. That is why there is a blessing for eating Maror and not Haroset.
There are some Jews who, in their quest to be more strict than anyone else, do not eat even Matzah products that have been soaked in water or juice on the chance that perhaps some wheat in the Matzah may not have been mixed with water properly and when soaked, could possibly ferment. Such people do not eat either Matzah brei nor Matzah balls. This is their loss. This is just another example of the lengths some will go to be more kosher than anyone else. I should also note here that Matzah farfel is just Matzah broken into large pieces, and Matzah meal is Matza broken up into very small pieces. If you want to save money, break up the Matzah yourself.
Next week: Mitzvah 24: Telling the Story of the Exodus at the Seder

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 21
March 27, 2006

Mitzvah 22: Hametz on Passover

Mitzvah 22 – It is a positive commandment to clear away Hametz on the fourteenth of Nissan.
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “only, on the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses” (Exodus 12:15) and by the Oral tradition it was learned that this “first” means the fourteenth of Nissan, before the time that it becomes forbidden to eat Hametz. Now, clearing away means that one is to destroy the known Hametz in his possession; and what he does not know about he renders null and void in his heart, and considers it as nothing – that he has no use whatever for it.
By the law of the sages one is to search and examine his premises and clear away all Hametz at the beginning of the night before the fourteenth, by the light of a candle; because all people are to be found in their homes at night, and candlelight is good for searching. It is in force everywhere and at every time, for both men and women.

When the Sages wanted to make sure that all Hametz was removed before Passover, they set in motion three ways to get rid of it. The first responsibility was to use up as much Hametz before the holiday as possible. To clear our shelves of what the Hametz we own. There is a commandment that we are forbidden to waste that which can be used, so we first try and use up what we own. We are also allowed to give it away to a worthy (non-Jewish) cause so that the Hametz we can’t use can still be put to good use. It can be donated to a soup kitchen or food pantry for instance.
In some cases, it is impossible to use up all the Hametz in our homes before Passover. Sometimes there is just too much to use. Sometimes we forget we have it until it is too late to use it. Sometimes we are in the Hametz business and it would be a great financial loss if we were to give it all away before Passover. For this reason the Sages created the “sale” of Hametz. The Hametz is placed in a secure location and closed off from the rest of the house. We then, in writing, assign the Rabbi as our agent to make sure that the Hametz is sold for the holiday. (there is usually a small donation made to have the Rabbi do this for you) He will then sell all the Hametz that he is commissioned to sell to a reliable non-Jew. This is a binding sale. Usually there is a small down payment made at the time of the sale and the full price is to be paid after the holiday at fair market value for the Hametz. If the non-Jew decides not to complete the sale, it automatically reverts to its original owners, after the holiday. Since it did not belong to us during the holiday, we are able to use it after the holiday is over. This sale must take place before 10 am on the fourteenth of Nissan, so that we will not own the Hametz from the time it becomes forbidden to us.
Tradition has us keep a small amount of Hametz and to search for it on the night before the fourteenth of Nissan (on the thirteenth, after dark). This is called Bedikat Hametz, the search for Hametz, and we use a candle and a feather, to sweep away the last crumbs of Hametz in our homes. Those crumbs and whatever Hametz we no longer can use is burned at 10 am on the fourteenth of Nissan. From that time until the end of Passover, we can not own or have in our possession any Hametz at all. If we find any that was not sold or burned, we must throw it away. We cannot use it even after the holiday.
The big question is “Why?” Why must we remove leaven from our homes? The Torah, as stated above, only tells us that we must get rid of it all. G-d simply said so and we must obey. But what is Hametz that we cannot even possess it on Passover? The Sages comment on this mitzvah saying that Hametz is that grain that has fermented, it has mixed with water and the air and has become something else. It is no longer pure grain. When we remove the Hametz from our homes, we are removing from our lives all that has been fermented, the arguments, the fights, the anger and the feelings of vengeance that spoil our live and corrupt our thinking. Passover is the time we let go of such feelings, and decide that we have no use for them whatsoever. That we will go back to a simpler kind of bread, and a simpler kind of relationship, where we no longer allow that which is fermented to spoil the love and concern we have for each other. The removal of leaven from our household symbolizes the removal of the fermented feelings from our heart. For the week of Passover, we should not really miss either the bread or the bad feelings at all.
Next week: Mitzvah 23: Eating Matzah

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 20
March 6, 2006

Mitzvah 21: Rejoicing on the Festivals

Mitzvah 21 – It is a positive commandment to be happy on the festivals.
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “and you shall rejoice on your festivals” (Deut. 16:14) When the Sanctuary was in existence, the rejoicing was that an extra peace offering was brought in addition to the festival offering. It was called the offering of joy and women were also obligated in this joy. At the present time, thought happiness is only through meat and wine. Then one has a duty to make his wife happy with pretty clothing and to distribute sweets to the members of his household. He is also obligated to make the poor happy. If someone does not bring happiness to any poor people, his is not rejoicing in a mitzvah but only the joy of his belly, and a joy that is a disgrace to him. (see Malachi 2:3)
Now, even though eating and drinking on the religious holidays is part of the positive commandment, one should not spend a long time with wine, amusement and frivolity, since this is wild foolishness and silly behavior, whereas we are commanded only about rejoicing that contains within it the worship of G-d and it is impossible to worship G-d amid unbridled amusement, frivolity or drunkenness, but only amid the happiness of a mitzvah. The happiness that a person enjoys while doing a mitzvah is a great form of worship It is in force everywhere and at every time.

We see here the two polls of what “rejoicing” is all about. On the one hand, the point of a Festival is to be happy. On the other hand, this “happiness” can easily get out of control. The Hafetz Hayim tries to address both sides of this issue.
We no longer participate in animal sacrifice, so the legal requirement of rejoicing means we need to eat meat and drink wine on festival days. Even if we are on rather strict diets, the few festive days should not have a long term impact on weight or health. Where does this leave Vegetarians and those who do not /can not drink alcohol? Clearly Judaism would have them celebrate with foods and drinks that are appropriate to their needs. The point is to make these days “festive” through the foods that we eat. Also it is important to mention again, that for those who can not drink alcohol because of medications they are taking or because of a history of substance abuse, the above mitzvah should NOT be taken as license to indulge in dangerous activities. The mitzvah simply does NOT APPLY in that case and one should eat and drink in a manner that will not endanger their life or the lives of others around them. Even for the purpose of saying a blessing, Kosher Grape Juice should be used that has no alcohol content at all.
But even for those who may be physically able to drink, the mitzvah does NOT give such a person free reign to let the festival joy descend into debauchery. Rejoicing is not a free ticket to get drunk, out of control or even simply silly. The point is not to awaken the next day with a hangover and to forget what transpired in the holiday celebration. It is one thing to drink and celebrate; it is another to lose all sense of what it means to be a human being. I can be happy with the time off from work, spent with my family, around a festival table, eating good food, enjoying my children and family, telling family stories and remembering why we all love each other. What joy would there be if we ended the meal so full, we felt sick, so drunk that we embarrassed our family and so wasted that we don’t even remember what happened? That is not rejoicing at all and would simply be a violation of the mitzvah. Yes, I know that drunkenness is prescribed for Purim celebrations (that is a different mitzvah that this one) but I think that even in the case of Purim, such drunkenness was meant to be a metaphor, and one should not get that drunk even on that crazy, happy day.
Want to know how a Rabbi celebrates? He uses the time to learn something new. Now that is my kind of happiness and joy!
Next week: Mitzvah 22: Removing Hametz before Passover